This invention relates to a thrust flange lubricating structure of a marine propulsion unit and more particularly to an improved arrangement for lubricating the thrust taking arrangement of the lower unit of a marine outboard drive.
As is well known, many forms of marine outboard drives employ a lower unit having a propeller shaft that is journaled for rotation and which is driven, at the forward end thereof, from a vertically extending drive shaft through a transmission. Frequently, the transmission employed is a bevel gear type of forward, neutral, reverse transmission.
With transmissions of this type, various types of arrangements have been employed for transferring the driving thrust from the propeller shaft to the lower unit housing. One type of thrust taking arrangement employs a thrust flange which is provided on the propeller shaft and which transfers either forward, reverse or both forward and reverse driving thrusts to the lower unit housing through appropriately positioned and supported thrust bearings.
It is normally the practice to enclose the transmission of the lower unit which drives the propeller shaft in a closed chamber that is filled with lubricant for lubricating the transmission gears. Frequently these transmissions employ some form of pumping arrangement for circulating the lubricant around the various components to be lubricated. However, the thrust flange on the propeller shaft forms an inherent dam which will block the lubricant from flowing rearwardly to lubricate the thrust bearings that engage the thrust flange and also any bearings which may support the aft end of the propeller shaft. This can give rise to obvious problems.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for lubricating the components of the lower unit of a marine outboard drive.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an arrangement for lubricating the thrust bearings associated with the thrust flange of the propeller shaft of a marine outboard drive lower unit.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement that will insure adequate lubrication of all components and bearings in a marine outboard drive lower unit.